


King of Tomorrow

by barbitone



Series: Voltron Fanfiction [9]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Sex, Alternate Universe - Canon, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, BAMF lotor, Bottom Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Mistaken Identity, Morally Ambiguous Character, Oral Sex, Outdoor Sex, Porn with some plot, Some Plot, Space Pirates, Top Lotor (Voltron), Voltron Art, banquet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-07 17:43:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16858480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbitone/pseuds/barbitone
Summary: Defeating Zarkon had only landed the Paladins in a world of trouble as the Galra Empire started falling apart without a leader, Commanders splintering off to lash out wildly as Voltron tried desperately to protect the members of their coalition. But they were stretched too thin and they could barely keep up.Just when their situation seemed darkest a new player entered the field seemingly on their side. A mysterious pirate at the head of a vast armada- Admiral Lotor.





	King of Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick note- for the purpose of this AU let's just all assume that Shiro was rescued by Commander Thace that first time around and no one's met Ulaz before.
> 
> OK- onwards to the banquet!

 

* * *

 

“We’re getting a distress signal from Olkarion!” Coran cried out. “They’re under attack by the Galra!”

“Quickly,” Allura said. “Ready the Lions, set a course for Olkarion.”

“Yes, princess,” Coran said but he was frowning, his mustache trembling faintly as he stared at his console.

“What’s wrong?” Shiro asked, nervous now.

“The signal, it’s at least three vargas old. The Galra must have blocked the transmission somehow.”

“So you’re saying- you’re saying it might already be too late?” Hunk breathed out.

“We have to try,” Allura said firmly. “Coran- set a course.”

“Yes, princess.” He typed the coordinates into his console before Allura closed her eyes and pressed her hands to the controls of the Teleduv, summoning the portal so Coran could take them through. 

Shiro’s eyes widened as he saw the field of debris drifting around the planet. What the-

“Hail them,” Allura ordered.

There were a few tense moments of silence before the face of an Olkari woman popped up on screen. “Princess Allura!” the woman said with a relieved smile.

“We came as soon as we could- what happened?”

“We’re not entirely sure,” the Olkari said slowly. “We were under attack by the Galra, but then another fleet arrived and destroyed them.”

“Another fleet?” Allura asked. “Who were they?”

“We’re- not entirely sure,” the Olkari said with a small wince. “If anything, they seemed like a pirate fleet. The ships were all mismatched, but their hulls were marked by an orange and blue symbol like a star.”

“Did they say anything?” Allura asked.

“We received a brief transmission from their General and then they were gone.”

“Please forward the transmission to us,” Allura said and the Olkari woman nodded. “I’m pleased you came to no harm.”

“Thank you, princess,” the Olkari said and the screen went dark. There was a faint beep as they received a file transfer and the recorded transmission opened on the main viewscreen.

Shiro frowned as he looked at the woman on screen. She had pink skin and yellow and purple markings on her face as well as an odd tail-like appendage protruding from her head. She was wearing an elaborate headdress made of delicate gold chains and her ears and neck were glittering with gold too. She smirked like she was having the time of her life.

 _“I am General Ezor,”_ she said, her voice sounding a little distorted over the speakers. “ _Admiral Lotor sends his regards.”_ She winked and blew a kiss at the screen and that was the end of it.

Shiro didn’t miss Coran’s sharp intake of breath.

“Coran,” he said, “does that name mean anything to you?”

Coran frowned, looking down at his console. “Well- I can’t be sure, but- there were rumors. At the time Zarkon started his conquest, there were rumors that he’d had a child. A son, named Lotor.”

“You think this could be him?” Shiro asked.

Coran frowned harder, shrugging. “Maybe? But it doesn’t make any sense.”

“This is deeply troubling,” Allura said.

“Is it?” Shiro asked. “Because as far as I can tell this seems promising. Whoever he is- he protected the Olkari from the Galra. He could be a potential ally.”

“He’s the admiral of a pirate armada,” Lance muttered. “How much of an ally could he be?”

“I don’t know,” Shiro said slowly. “But I don’t think we’re in a position to be choosy.”

Keith stayed stoic as Pidge shrugged and Hunk grinned.

“Wow, he kind of sounds super cool,” he said.

“Cool or not,” Allura said firmly, “we should keep our guard up.” She paused, looking over at Shiro. “At least for now,” she relented slightly.

Shiro smiled tightly, trying to contain the flutter of excitement singing through him. Admiral Lotor- whoever he was- could change the stakes they were facing. He couldn’t help the warm feeling of hope flooding his chest.

 

* * *

 

Over the next few weeks they were inundated by similar transmissions. A Galra woman named Zethrid sent Admiral Lotor’s regards after liberating Puig. An odd eyeless woman named Narti sent Admiral Lotor’s regards after rescuing the inhabitants of Taujeer from their collapsing planet. General Ezor sent at least four more transmissions after defeating various Galra splinter cells throughout the universe.

Sometimes they left gifts- gold and wine and weapons and advanced technology and Shiro felt himself going a little mad with curiosity, wondering who this Admiral Lotor was.

They were drifting in deep space when a pirate fleet suddenly warped into their vicinity, surrounding them completely. There were at least thirty mismatched cruisers and countless smaller support ships and Shiro couldn’t help breaking out into a cold sweat as he watched the force gathered around them. But they were all marked with a symbol like an orange and blue star and he found himself relaxing a little despite himself.

“Some of these ships are equipped with Altean technology,” Coran said incredulously. “There’s a transmission incoming-”

“On screen,” Allura ordered.

A Galra woman appeared on the main viewscreen, or maybe she was only half Galra. Her face was smooth and devoid of fur, she had short hair and what looked like horns on the sides of her head.

“I am General Acxa,” she said slowly, staring down at them imperiously. “Admiral Lotor sends his regards. And a gift- for your former Black Paladin, Captain Takashi Shirogane.”

The transmission cut out and the ships warped away, leaving a single transport behind. It was a small civilian craft, the tech like nothing Shiro had seen before.

“Hail that ship,” Allura ordered.

There were a few moments of silence and then the transmission went through and Shiro gasped as Pidge jerked to her feet.

“Dad?” Pidge whispered.

“ _Sam_?” Shiro asked.

“Katie! Shiro!” Sam laughed, his face crinkling with a joyful smile. His hair was longer than usual and his beard unkempt, but through it all he looked happy and healthy. Shiro couldn’t quite believe it, at the back of his mind he’d feared Sam was long dead. “It’s so good to see you both!”

“Dad? Is that really you?” Pidge asked, scrambling to get closer to the screen.

“It’s me- Katie, it’s me!”

Pidge laughed and Shiro couldn’t help laughing with her.

“What are you waiting for?” Pidge demanded. “Let him dock!”

She was bouncing on the balls of her feet next to Matt as the ship landed in their hangar, and then the door was opening and she was running forward with an excited squeal to greet her father, Matt close on her heels. Sam wrapped them up in his arms, swaying a little as he held his children close to him.

“Get in here, Shiro,” he called out and Shiro strode forward, only barely managing not to break into a run, and then he was there too. He laughed with the impossible joy he felt, surrounded by people he loved.

“Sam- I’m so glad you’re safe,” he managed.

“Me too,” Sam said, tears of happiness streaming down his face. “And you- Shiro. You kept my children safe for me. How can I ever repay you?”

“Sam,” Shiro managed, burying his head in Sam’s shoulder and trying not to cry on top of everything. “Sam- what happened?”

Sam grinned, laughing shakily. “I’m not entirely sure,” he said. “I was in a Galra prison for a long time, forced to develop weapons for them. And then- I don’t know. Lotor’s forces stormed the prison and liberated all of us. They knew who I was, they picked me out and brought me here, and now I’m with you- now I’m free.”

“Can you tell us anything else?” Allura asked. “Did you meet Lotor? What was he like?”

Sam shook his head slowly, still smiling. “I only ever saw the woman- General Acxa. But they were kind to me, and-” he broke out into laugh. “They brought me here. I’m so glad to be with all of you.” He beamed down at Pidge and Matt, tugging them in close again.

“Well,” Shiro said slowly. “This settles it, doesn’t it? We should talk to him, at least.”

“Alright,” Allura said.

“This could still be a trap,” Lance muttered.

“It’s a risk worth taking,” Shiro said firmly.

 

* * *

 

A few days later they received a transmission inviting them for a meeting with Admiral Lotor. The coordinates were for a small out of the way planet just outside Galra controlled space.

“I think we should go,” Shiro said and there was no disagreement.

The space around the planet was bristling with pirate ships but they made no move to attack and the Paladins took the Lions down, leaving the castle ship in orbit.

They were greeted by the inhabitants of the planet, a race of small blue-skinned aliens with eyes protruding out of their heads on prehensile stalks. They didn’t seem at all concerned about the armada in their orbit and their delegation was brimming with good cheer as they led the Paladins to a palace and a banquet hall within.

Shiro could barely hold back a gasp as he stepped in, looking around wide-eyed. No expense had been spared, the walls were glittering with gold and the tables were heavy with food and drink. Small orange lanterns hovered in the air and a band of musicians was playing soft cheerful music on a small raised platform in the center. There were hundreds of aliens filling the space, talking quietly. They fell silent as the Paladins walked in before breaking out into applause.

Shiro’s heart was racing as he stared, overwhelmed at the opulence around him. The Paladins were blushing, equally surprised at this reception, and then Coran and Allura gasped in unison.

“Alteans!” Allura breathed out.

He hadn’t noticed before but now that she’d said it he saw them- dozens of Alteans peppered throughout the crowd. Before anyone could say anything else a ripple of whispers went through the guests and they parted before what must have been the Admiral himself, striding confidently towards them.

Shiro wasn’t sure what exactly he’d expected, but it wasn’t a stern Galra man who stood over a head taller than him, well-built with impossibly wide shoulders made even wider and more imposing by his bulky elaborately gilded armor. His head was shaved except for a short white mohawk and his features were severe as he frowned down at them.

Something about this didn’t seem quite right but Shiro wasn’t entirely sure what. The messages they’d been getting, the gifts, even this unexpectedly lavish reception- it had all been oddly playful, like Lotor was wooing them. But the man standing before them now was utterly humorless, it hardly seemed possible he’d masterminded everything that came before.

He was flanked by the four Generals from the messages- Acxa and Narti stood to his right while Ezor and Zethrid stood to his left. Behind them were half a dozen lethal-looking soldiers dressed in body-hugging black armor, all standing at attention with their eyes held perfectly forward. The generals, the bodyguards, the banquet- it was all so much. Shiro frowned, feeling like he was in a hall of smoke and mirrors. Why were they trying so hard to put on a show?

“Princess Allura,” Lotor said respectfully, bowing his head. “Paladins- welcome. I’m pleased you accepted my invitation.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Allura said.

Shiro let his mind wander as Allura took care of all the necessary diplomatic niceties, finding his gaze drawn to one of the soldiers standing behind the Admiral. He was dressed like all the rest but there was something oddly striking about him. He clearly wasn’t a full-blooded Galra- his features were delicate, almost human, and his long white hair was pulled back into a high ponytail by a thick gold ring. A single lock of hair had escaped and was hanging down to frame his face, contrasting against his purple skin. He had a gold hoop dangling from one of the lobes of his pointed ears and something like a ruby stud in the other.

The soldier turned slightly to look directly back at him and for a moment Shiro felt frozen, lost in his sharp purple gaze. A smirk fluttered over the soldier’s lips, there and gone so quickly Shiro wasn’t entirely sure he’d even really seen it at all, and then he winked and Shiro looked away, blushing.

“-and this is Captain Takashi Shirogane,” Allura was saying and Shiro looked back at Lotor, who was frowning down at him. Shit, what were they doing? Were they shaking hands? Nodding? He should have been paying more attention.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Admiral Lotor said with a nod.

“Likewise,” Shiro said tersely, copying his motion. He must not have messed it up too badly because Lotor was already looking past him.

“Princess Allura, Black Paladin- I’d quite like to speak with both of you,” he said, gesturing towards a table set up at the back of the hall.

“Yes- we have some questions for you as well,” Allura said before she and Keith followed Lotor and his entourage away.

“Well hot damn,” Hunk said, grinning. “I’m gonna go check out some of this food.”

“I’m going to get a drink,” Pidge said, her eyes glittering behind her glasses.

Lance didn’t say anything, he was blushing as he stared at a group of young women who were giggling and waving at him. He wandered off towards them with a lovestruck smile.

“Well I’m going to talk to some of these Alteans!” Coran announced and Shiro suddenly found himself standing alone in the middle of the banquet hall.

“Okay then,” he muttered, feeling painfully awkward. He took a glass of some kind of sparkling alcohol off the tray of a passing server just to have something to do with his hands and then wandered around aimlessly for a while, trying the food, listening to the musicians, watching couples get up to dance.

Everyone but him seemed to be having a great time, even Keith was smiling faintly as he talked to General Acxa at the head table. Shiro couldn’t help feeling completely out of place. He wasn’t a Paladin anymore, he wasn’t really even a Captain. He was just- some guy who used to be somebody, hanging around with the others because where else would he go? Maybe he should have just stayed on the castle ship with Matt and Sam and let the others handle this. If he’d known they were walking into some kind of party he would have.

He sighed and finished off his glass, grabbing another before stepping out of the banquet hall onto a grand balcony. The cool night air was pleasant on his hot face and he leaned against the railing, drinking slowly as he looked at the well-tended garden laid out below him. His head was spinning a little already, his alcohol tolerance was completely shot after his year long imprisonment with the Galra and whatever they’d done to him the second time around.

“Not enjoying the banquet?” he heard and turned to see the soldier from before, the one that had winked at him.

“I- I am. It’s very- uh. Fancy,” Shiro managed, suddenly tongue-tied as the soldier walked towards him.

“Certainly,” he said, smiling. “That’s why you’re hiding out here, all alone.” He stopped beside Shiro, standing a little too close.

“I’m not hiding,” Shiro said. “I just came out for some fresh air. Anyway, shouldn’t you be in there,” he jerked his head towards the brightly lit hall, “guarding your Admiral?”

The soldier laughed easily. “Does he need guarding from your friends?” 

Shiro blushed, turning away from him to look back down at the garden.

“Besides,” the soldier continued. “You’re the one I’ve been most hoping to meet. Captain Takashi Shirogane- the legendary Champion of the arena. I’ve seen the broadcasts, you are clearly a force to be reckoned with.”

“That’s not something I’m proud of,” Shiro muttered.

“Apologies,” the soldier said, inclining his head. “I didn’t mean to offend you or bring up bad memories.”

“It’s fine,” Shiro said tersely. “You seem to know a lot about me, but I don’t know anything about you.”

The soldier smiled oddly, shifting to draw a little closer. “My name is Ulaz,” he said.

“Shiro,” Shiro said, holding out his hand. Ulaz looked at it for a moment before clasping him by the forearm and squeezing tightly before letting go.

“Well, Shiro- if you’re not enjoying yourself here perhaps I can take you somewhere more to your liking. This planet has much to offer.”

Shiro must have been drunk because he found himself seriously considering the proposition, suddenly entirely enchanted by the idea of being spirited away into the night by some handsome stranger- and then reason caught up with him. “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” he said slowly.

“You’d rather stay here and be miserable?” Ulaz asked, tilting his head to the side. “Or are you afraid I might have nefarious intentions? I assure you, I’m quite harmless,” he said with a flirtatious smile that was decidedly not harmless.

“I don’t think it would look very good for me to leave,” Shiro said, looking back into the banquet hall. “I wouldn’t want to offend Admiral Lotor.”

“I’m sure Lotor wouldn’t mind,” Ulaz said.

Shiro laughed a little at that. “You’re on a first name basis with the Admiral?”

“Lotor and I are- very close,” Ulaz said, smirking. “I know his mind well on this matter. He’d want you to enjoy yourself, Shiro.”

Shiro looked away uncertainly. He wanted to leave, wanted that desperately. But he couldn’t, could he? Ulaz reached out and casually took the glass from Shiro’s hand, downing the remains of his drink in one deep swig before setting it down on the railing of the balcony.

“Come,” he said as he stepped closer, so close they were nearly touching. He leaned down until his lips were practically brushing Shiro’s ear as he spoke. “I want to show you the sights,” he murmured and Shiro couldn’t help shivering at the feeling of Ulaz’s hot breath ghosting over his skin. “And then I want to strip you down and ravish you mercilessly until you’re so overwhelmed you can’t even remember your own name.”

Holy- Shiro had to close his eyes for a moment at that, shocked at the man’s boldness, at how much he suddenly wanted what he was offering. Ulaz stepped back, smirking, and held out his hand.

“Come, Shiro,” he said and Shiro stared at him, completely speechless. Fuck, he wanted to, but- but-

But everyone else was having the time of their lives inside and didn’t Shiro deserve something for himself, after everything he’d been through? It had been over two years since he’d last had sex, since he’d had anything but his own hand in the shower, perfunctory and rushed. He wanted something more, even if it was just for one night, he wanted Ulaz- impossibly handsome, staring down at him with hot desire in his eyes and a smile that made Shiro weak in the knees.

“Alright,” he breathed out and took the soldier’s hand. Ulaz grinned wider and turned to lead him down the stairs into the garden.

Shiro flinched as he heard the balcony door open and Ulaz paused, looking back.

“General Acxa,” he said, inclining his head respectfully.

She frowned faintly, looking down at their clasped hands and then briefly at Shiro before she turned her glare on Ulaz.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I thought I’d show Captain Shirogane the falls."

“I’m not sure that’s wise,” Acxa said. “Besides, Admiral Lotor requires your presence.”

Shiro only barely managed to contain a sigh, overwhelmed by disappointment. He moved to step away but Ulaz only tightened his grip on his hand and pulled him in closer.

“I think not,” he said easily. “I’m certain Admiral Lotor has the situation well in hand.”

And that was strange, wasn’t it? It was strange for a soldier to so brazenly disobey a direct order from his General, his Admiral.

Acxa’s lips tightened and her frown deepened but Ulaz seemed completely unconcerned as he stared back at her and Shiro wasn’t sure what to think. They were pirates after all, maybe their chain of command worked differently.

“Very well,” Acxa said at last. “Don’t stray far, stay on the comms.”

“Yes, General,” Ulaz said, inclining his head again, and then he was leading Shiro down the steps and into the garden.

“You won’t get in trouble for disobeying your Admiral?” Shiro asked breathlessly.

Ulaz laughed like Shiro had just told the world’s funniest joke. “Don’t worry about that. Don’t worry about anything.”

The garden was beautiful, the air sweet with the smell of night-blooming flowers. The edges of the pebbled path were lined with lights, the flowerbeds lush and exotic, colorful even in the darkness. Within a few minutes they were past and walking down a well-tended forest path. Swarms of tiny red lights floated close to the ground like fireflies.

“Watch,” Ulaz said with a grin, pulling them to a stop and raising his fingers to his lips to let out an ear-splitting whistle. The lights jerked in unison and flew upwards, forming thick streams that swirled around them madly before settling back down. Shiro watched, smiling in delight, and then Ulaz tightened his hand over his and they were moving onwards.

“Where are we going?” Shiro asked.

“The falls,” Ulaz said. “It’s too far to walk so I’m taking you for a ride instead.”

He stopped in the middle of the path and typed something into the panel of his gauntlet. A portion of the forest before them rippled and fell away, a hologram shutting down, and Shiro found himself standing before a small clearing. An elegant black ship dominated the space, marked by Lotor’s orange and blue star.

“How far are we going?” Shiro asked, suddenly nervous.

“Not far,” Ulaz said easily, typing something else into his gauntlet before the door to the ship’s hangar started opening. “We’re not taking the ship,” he said with a grin, “we’re just here for my bike.” He walked into the hangar and Shiro followed slowly, still uncertain. But there really was a hoverbike in there, smaller and more sleek than what he was used to riding back on Earth.

Ulaz stepped forward and started the engines before grabbing the thick black cloak draped over the seat and wrapping it around his shoulders. “Care to drive?” he asked.

“I don’t know where we’re going,” Shiro said.

“I’ll direct you,” Ulaz said with a suggestive smirk. “I’m quite good at that. Come, I can see the desire in your eyes- it’ll be fun.”

“Alright,” Shiro found himself saying. Ulaz was right- he was itching to drive the elegant machine, he could already tell it was fast and powerful and he wanted to see how far he could push it.

Ulaz handed him a pair of goggles and he slipped them on before straddling the bike. It was vibrating beneath him, thrumming strongly with the engines, and Shiro couldn’t help smiling with excitement. And then Ulaz was sitting behind him, pressing close to his back and sliding his arms tightly around his waist and that was even better.

“Go down the forest path, to the right,” Ulaz said into his ear, his hot breath making Shiro shiver again. “We’ll follow the path a while and I’ll let you know where to go from there.”

“Ok,” Shiro breathed out, wrapping his hands around the controls. He revved the engines experimentally and grinned at the adrenaline coursing through him. Ulaz made a pleased sound behind him, something between a sigh and a laugh, and dropped his hand to grip the inside of Shiro’s thigh dangerously close to his groin.

Shiro shivered at that too, at the promise contained in the gesture. He’d been half hard ever since that moment on the balcony and he was only growing more aroused with every passing minute. This was so reckless, maybe even dangerous, but suddenly he didn’t care. All he cared about was this moment, the bike thrumming beneath him, Ulaz hot and strong behind him.

“I’m ready,” Ulaz said, pressing his lips to the skin behind Shiro’s ear, and Shiro hit the accelerator and they were off.

He was grinning as they raced through the forest and out onto a narrow cliffside road. Ulaz‘s idea of directing him turned out to be something closer to suggestive caresses than any kind of spoken instructions. He let his hands roam freely over Shiro’s body, laughing into his ear every time he made Shiro shudder.

Nearly half an hour passed before they reached a grassy oasis in the mountains. A multitude of thin streams poured down the cliff to pool in a shallow lake full of bioluminescent algae that threw a soft pink glow into the clearing.

“Pull over here,” Ulaz said and Shiro stopped the hoverbike, shutting down the engines.

“It’s beautiful,” Shiro said.

“Yes,” Ulaz said and tightened his hand on Shiro’s thigh. “Would you say you’ve seen enough sights, Shiro?” he whispered into Shiro’s ear.

“I-” Shiro started and broke off with a gasp when the Galra soldier brought his hand up higher, stroking the hard line of his cock through his pants. He shut his eyes and leaned back, panting already as Ulaz bent to kiss his neck and bite at his ear. His other hand, the one that wasn’t teasingly caressing his dick, was sliding down Shiro’s chest to toy with the fastenings of his vest.

Shiro let his hands slip away from the controls to grip Ulaz’s thighs behind him, arching his back and trying to push into his touch. The Galra was biting his neck, stroking his thighs and cock sensually, and Shiro could barely catch his breath at the light touches, straining for more just to have Ulaz pull away whenever he tried to press closer.

“I asked you a question, Shiro,” Ulaz said with a dark laugh.

“Yeah,” Shiro managed and inhaled sharply as Ulaz tightened his hand over his dick. “Oh fuck- _yeah_. I’ve seen enough. Let’s-”

“Very good,” Ulaz said and pulled away to stand, leaving Shiro a little dazed as he sat on the bike alone, watching as the Galra laid his cloak out over the grass and moved to open the hidden fastenings of his chest plate before removing it and the rest of his armor efficiently, dropping the pieces to the grass.

Shiro stood a little nervously, his knees shaking as he walked closer. Ulaz grinned and leaned forward, sliding his hand to the back of Shiro’s neck to pull him in for a kiss. Fuck- his lips were so hot and firm, he was so confident and sure, Shiro couldn’t help moaning into his mouth and grabbing his waist to steady himself. His heart was pounding hard in his chest, the rushing water from the falls loud in his ears.

Ulaz pulled back and stared at him, the pink light of the lake reflecting off his long white hair and making his purple eyes glitter. He smiled in a way that was suddenly predatory, revealing his sharp canines, and a cold shiver ran down Shiro’s back.

What the fuck had he just gotten himself into? He’d let some Galra stranger- a _pirate_ \- take him off into the woods because why- because he was momentarily horny? Anything could happen and he couldn’t even contact the others if he needed to reach them, their comms were in the helmets of their Paladin armor and Shiro was just wearing his usual shirt and vest. He hadn’t expected to be separated from them so he hadn’t brought a transmitter, and- _fuck_ , he was such an idiot.

“Is everything alright?” Ulaz asked, moving back a little as he noticed Shiro’s hesitation. “If you’ve changed your mind we can return to the banquet, or go do something else if you’d like.”

Shiro smiled at that, all of a sudden feeling more at ease. Now that Ulaz had given him an out he found he didn’t really want one.

“No, I think you promised to ravish me,” he said boldly and leaned back in. The next few minutes passed in a blur and before long Ulaz was laying him out on the cloak and pulling off Shiro’s vest and shirt. For a moment he was self-conscious about his scars, his arm. No one had seen him naked since before he’d been forced to fight in the arena, he could barely stand to look at his own body in the mirror.

But Ulaz was naked himself by then and he had scars too, a fine tracery over his skin and a few thicker knotted marks over his arms and chest and he was looking down at Shiro with a mix of desire and awe. Shiro found himself relaxing, forgetting about anything outside the idyllic meadow.

He was unable to stop running his hands over Ulaz’s muscled body, so powerful above him, unable to stop running his fingers through his silky hair. Ulaz was hot against him, strong and eager as he plundered Shiro’s mouth mercilessly until he was gasping.

It was so good, it was amazing, and then Ulaz started pressing a trail of hot kisses down his chest and pulling his trousers open and off and it got impossibly better. Shiro moaned as Ulaz enveloped his cock in his hot mouth, looking up at Shiro wickedly as he slid down his length, lips pulled tight over him.

“Oh, fuck,” Shiro gasped, dropping his head back to the cloak and closing his eyes. He was on the edge already, if he watched Ulaz sucking him off on top of it all he’d come in seconds. “Oh god- _Ulaz_ ,” he moaned.

Ulaz jerked back a little, staring at him with something like shock in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Shiro asked, propping himself up on his elbows to look at him.

Ulaz’s eyes narrowed as a wry smile spread over his lips. “Nothing,” he said. “Just- don’t say that.”

“You don’t want me to say your name?” Shiro asked, confused.

Ulaz laughed. “Yes- my name. I don’t like hearing it, not now.”

“Why-” Shiro started but Ulaz was already swallowing him down again and he found he didn’t care anymore. It would be difficult not to let his name slip out but Shiro would try his hardest if that was what Ulaz wanted, if it meant he’d keep doing this.

“Wait,” Shiro whispered after a while, pushing at his shoulders, “I’m close-”

“Good,” Ulaz murmured, pulling off to nip at the insides of his thighs sharply, making him gasp and jerk away or maybe closer- he wasn’t sure. “Come for me, and then we’ll keep going and you can come for me again.”

“I- that’s not- that’s not exactly how it works,” Shiro said with a surprised laugh.

“I know how it works,” Ulaz said with a grin, looking up at him. “Is this your first time with a Galra, or- a half-Galra, as it were?”

“Yes?” Shiro said and Ulaz laughed in delight. “Should I- uh. Should I be worried? Is there something I need to know?”

“There’s no need to worry, Shiro,” Ulaz said, looking impossibly satisfied. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Now- I’d quite like to fuck you. Is that something you’d be amenable to?”

“I- _fuck_. Yeah.”

“Very good,” Ulaz murmured before licking a hot stripe up the bottom of Shiro’s cock as he dug his hand into a hidden pocket of the cloak, pulling out a bottle of oil. He slicked his fingers before taking Shiro’s whole length in his mouth, sliding a finger inside him as he did.

Shiro arched up with a choked-off gasp, overwhelmed already, but of course it was only just the beginning. Before long Ulaz added another finger and Shiro fisted his hands into the cloak as he gasped, caught between the sensation of Ulaz’s fingers thrusting into him and his greedy mouth moving hot and tight over him. He had to bite back moaning the Galra’s name at the last moment, managing to curse instead. “Fuck- I- I’m going to-”

Ulaz curled his fingers up, stroking Shiro’s prostate, and then he was moaning as he came, shivering as he was overwhelmed by waves of relentless heat, as Ulaz’s mouth on him suddenly became too much, his cock too sensitive.

The Galra soldier pulled off with a satisfied smirk and licked his lips but his fingers were still inside, moving slower now, gentle as he watched Shiro panting beneath him.

Shiro let out a shuddering sigh and pulled Ulaz in for a kiss, wrapping his leg around his thigh. He wouldn’t be able to get hard again for a while but it still felt impossibly good to have the Galra’s fingers filling him up, pumping in and out with quiet slick sounds that sounded impossibly obscene and made the tips of Shiro’s ears burn.

“Do you still want me to fuck you?” Ulaz whispered against his ear.

“Yeah,” Shiro breathed out. “But I- I don’t think I’ll be able to come again for a while.”

“I think you will,” Ulaz said with a laugh that made him shiver. “Relax, Shiro. I know what I’m doing.”

“Alright,” Shiro said, smiling back. He felt amazing. This had been an amazing idea. He didn’t feel a million years old for once, he felt young and happy and excited to be doing something a little wild and reckless. He felt the weight of responsibility lifted off his shoulders, the weight of the war, the team, his own place in all of it.

Ulaz shifted to settle between his thighs, moving his legs wider apart easily, confidently, and then he was pushing in and Shiro couldn’t think about anything but the growing pressure inside him. Ulaz’s cock was long and thick, ridged lightly, and Shiro could feel every single one as he pressed further in. Shiro’s breath caught in his throat and he tightened his fingers over the cloak. He was hot all over, his heart beating so hard his whole body was shaking with it.

He’d never felt so hot before, so sensitive, even just the gentle breeze blowing over his chest made him shiver. The cloak below him felt impossibly decadent and he couldn’t seem to stop running his fingers over it restlessly. His dick was filling again already and that was- surprising. Suddenly he couldn’t quite get enough air and his head was spinning with it.

“I feel- strange,” he managed to gasp and Ulaz paused, pressing his fingers to the stuttering pulse at his throat.

“You’re alright,” Ulaz said after a moment, pulling his fingers away from Shiro’s neck and running his hands down his chest and sides soothingly. Even that little was impossibly intense, making Shiro’s skin tingle as he fought to catch his breath. “You’re having a stronger reaction to Galra pheromones than most. You may want to think twice before having sex with any full-blooded Galra, but you’ll be alright with me.”

He thrust into Shiro’s body shallowly and that was- fuck. It was so much already but all he wanted was more.

“If you’re not enjoying yourself we can stop,” Ulaz murmured. “The feeling will fade in a few doboshes, going for a swim will help. That’s why I’ve brought you here, to the lake.”

“I don’t want to stop,” Shiro said, wrapping his arms around Ulaz’s shoulders and his legs around his hips. The change in angle made Ulaz’s cock press against his prostate and Shiro moaned, arching his back. “Come on,” he gasped, “ _move_.”

Ulaz laughed into his ear and braced one of his arms against the ground before wrapping the other around Shiro’s waist and hoisting his hips higher, up off the cloak. His cock suddenly felt huge inside him, impossibly deep.

“Oh fuck,” Shiro gasped in surprise. All he could feel was Ulaz now, his skin slick with sweat, his powerful arms around him, his cock inside him, his hair falling into Shiro’s face. He started thrusting in earnest and it was amazing, it was the best feeling in the world. Shiro’s toes were curling and he had to screw his eyes shut, biting at his lips to try and keep himself from crying out Ulaz’s name. His cock was throbbing trapped between their bodies, rubbing against the Galra soldier’s sculpted abs with every thrust and it was driving Shiro crazy.

He wanted to touch himself but there wasn’t enough space between their bodies for him to get his hand down to his cock, and even if there had been he didn’t want to let go of Ulaz’s shoulders, needing to hold on to him, to something, so he wouldn’t feel like he was floating away. It didn’t matter, the feeling of Ulaz against him, inside him, was enough, driving him inexorably onwards to his second orgasm.

Ulaz was groaning now, losing some of his perfectly-held control, and that was impossibly hot too.

“Ah!” Shiro gasped at an especially deep thrust. “Fuck- I-”

“ _Yes_ ,” Ulaz whispered, breathy and hot against his ear, and that pushed Shiro over the edge and he was tightening around Ulaz and coming. The world whited out around him for a moment as he shivered, impossibly warm, and then he heard Ulaz gasp and felt his cock stutter in and out of him a little wildly. Ulaz bit sharply at his shoulder, making Shiro jerk and moan, before lowering him carefully back down to the ground.

He pulled out with a satisfied sigh and moved to lay on his side next to Shiro, stroking his fingers down Shiro’s chest and watching heavy-lidded as he shivered.

“Well. Holy shit,” Shiro managed after a while and Ulaz laughed, leaning forward to take his mouth in a slow thorough kiss.

“I take it you have no complaints?” he asked, arching his brow pointedly.

“No,” Shiro breathed out, his heart only now starting to slow.

They both startled at the sound of an insistent beeping coming from somewhere close by and Ulaz groaned, reaching for one of his gauntlets laying discarded in the dewy grass. He hit a panel on it with a frown.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Where are you?” Acxa’s voice rang out through the clearing, sounding tense and annoyed.

“Exactly where I said I would be. What’s wrong?”

“The Paladins are growing worried about their Captain.”

“Shiro,” Ulaz said, turning to him. “Can you call your friends on your comms? Let them know you’re alright?”

Shiro flushed a little with embarrassment. “Uh- no. I didn’t bring a transmitter.”

“Very well,” Ulaz said, turning back to the gauntlet. “Tell them he’s fine, he’s with me.”

“And who the hell are you supposed to be to them?” Acxa demanded, obviously frustrated. “If you could just stop fucking around and come back now that would make my life so much easier.”

“Oh darling,” Ulaz said with a smirk. “I fully intend to be fucking around for hours yet.”

“Fucking- _fantastic_. What the hell am I supposed to tell them?”

“I don’t care, Acxa- figure it out. Get them drunk, distract them, whatever you want. Don’t call me again unless something important comes up.”

“ _Fine_ , thanks for nothing,” she muttered and the transmission ended with a beep.

And that was- that was strange. Ulaz had been impossibly impertinent to his General and she’d just _let_ him. But Shiro didn’t have it in him to wonder about that just now.

“ _Hours_?” he asked instead.

“Well, you’re not finished with me already, are you?” Ulaz asked, pouting. “I’m not finished with you.”

“You’re insatiable,” Shiro said with a laugh.

“ _Yes_ ,” Ulaz said, suddenly intense. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. I have a deep hunger, Shiro.” He smiled, revealing his sharp canines, and Shiro couldn’t help shivering. “I have a hunger for life, for joy, for conquest. For you.” He trailed his fingers down the side of Shiro’s face, staring at his lips. “What do you hunger for, Shiro?”

Shiro swallowed loudly, staring back at him. “I- I don’t know. Peace, rest.”

Ulaz laughed. “Peace you’ll have soon. And _rest_ is easy enough for me to arrange. But consider what you want after all that- after we destroy Zarkon, after the Galra plague is burned out of the universe. Think about what you’ll want then.”

Shiro stared back at him wide-eyed, not sure how to react to his intensity or what to say in response. The threat of Zarkon was so huge it was all-encompassing, at the back of his mind he’d feared Zarkon couldn’t be defeated, he hadn’t even dared to think about _after_.

“A man like you must have an appetite,” Ulaz continued with a smirk. “A Captain, a Champion, a Paladin- you’ll grow tired of peace and rest sooner than you may expect. I think it’ll take more than that to keep you satisfied.”

Ulaz leaned down to kiss him, saving him from answering. When he pulled back he was smiling easily and the moment felt lighter. “Would you care to join me for a swim? The water is quite pleasant here.”

“Alright,” Shiro said even though he wasn’t entirely sure he could walk, his knees were still shaking from before. But the lake wasn’t far and Ulaz was grinning at him with delight and he wanted to seize everything this night had to offer.

The water was warm and Shiro grinned as the algae clung to their skin, making both of them glow pink. They swam for a while, roughhousing and kissing and laughing, and when they grew tired of that Ulaz pushed him back to the cloak on his knees and fucked him slowly for what felt like ages, teasing his cock lightly in a way that made Shiro burn up with desire and beg shamelessly for more.

They rested after, talking about nothing of importance, sharing funny stories and adventures from their lives. Then they fucked again, and again, Shiro’s cock rising gamely every time from a mixture of Galra pheromones and his desire for Ulaz on this impossible dreamlike night.

They stayed out until past dawn and by the end of it he was too sore to take Ulaz’s cock so they lay tangled together with Ulaz pushing his fingers into him lazily, whispering into his ear about all the wicked things he still wanted to do to him, wild elaborate fantasies that made Shiro laugh and moan by turns.

“We’d better head back,” Ulaz said at last, his voice full of disappointment.

Shiro could barely stay awake by then, he felt boneless and completely fucked-out. When Ulaz pulled away Shiro shivered, already missing his heat. They dressed slowly and Ulaz had to help him up to his feet before wrapping the cloak around his shoulders. It was a mess by then but it was pleasantly warm and Shiro grinned as he pulled it tighter around himself.

Wobbling a little, he climbed on the hoverbike behind Ulaz and gasped as the Galra started the engines. The vibrations thrumming through him felt impossibly intense, singing through all the places he was sore until it was almost like being fucked all over again, but then Ulaz did something at the controls and the engines quieted, the vibrations easing until they were soothing instead, and Shiro relaxed.

They took a slower pace returning and Shiro found himself dozing draped over Ulaz’s back, waking when the bike came to a stop.

“I’ll escort you to your quarters,” Ulaz said, offering his arm.

Shiro took it as they walked through the palace halls, both reluctant for their time together to come to an end.

“Here you are,” Ulaz said, stopping before a door. “Get some rest. Perhaps you’ll come find me later.”

Shiro laughed quietly, too exhausted to even consider the possibility of a repeat performance. Ulaz leaned in to kiss him softly before pulling back and striding away, his posture impossibly straight and proud. Shiro still had Ulaz’s cloak draped around his shoulders and he considered calling him back to return it but in the end he stayed silent, pulling it closer around himself instead. He wanted to keep it, just in case he didn’t see Ulaz again.

He was still smiling as he opened the door and walked inside and then stopped dead in his tracks.

The Paladins and Coran were demolishing an impressive breakfast spread at a huge table in the center of a lavish living room. They turned as one to stare at him and he couldn’t help blushing. Did he look like a wreck? Was it totally obvious what he’d been up to last night? What had General Acxa even told them about why he’d been gone so long?

“Uh, good morning,” he said slowly.

“Shiro,” Keith said, obviously hiding a smirk.

“Good morning,” Allura said, her eyes glittering wickedly.

“Nice cape,” Hunk mumbled around some kind of pastry. Shiro pulled the cloak a little tighter around himself, suddenly painfully aware of the fact that it was definitely covered in sweat and cum and god only knew what else.

“Oh my god,” Lance groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “How is it fair that I totally struck out and Shiro ends up having some kind of epic fuck-fest without even trying?”

“You’re covered in pink stuff,” Pidge said with interest. “Is that some kind of alien-”

“It’s algae,” Shiro interrupted stiffly.

“Ah, I remember my first Galra lover,” Coran said wistfully, looking away into the distance. “I was so young then, she was the daughter of a visiting diplomat. Our first time together we didn’t leave the bedroom for three quintants! I nearly passed out from dehydration halfway through- those Galra pheromones are _potent_ -”

“Ok,” Shiro interrupted, so hot with embarrassment he was sure he looked like a tomato. “I’m going to- go now. To sleep.”

They were still _staring_ at him though, and no one made any move to point him towards his room.

“Ok, I realize this is all very entertaining for all of you,” Shiro managed, sounding a little pained, “but I’m pretty sure I only have a few hours until our meeting with Admiral Lotor so if someone could please just tell me where I can take a nap that would be fantastic.”

Keith laughed and it was nice to hear it even though Shiro knew he was the butt of the joke. “Your room is that one,” he said, pointing at a door.

“Thank you,” Shiro said.

“And you should know-” Allura said as he started walking away. “We just received a message from Admiral Lotor- he’s moved our meeting for after dinner.”

“Fantastic. Well- good night. Or morning, or-” Shiro broke off, sighing. “Whatever,” he muttered and hurried away.

 

* * *

 

Dinner with the Paladins was far less awkward than he’d been afraid it would be. Allura and Coran were too excited about what they’d learned during the banquet to spend much more time teasing him.

“Admiral Lotor saved thousands of Alteans from Zarkon’s genocide!” Allura explained with a wide grin. “Some of them joined his crew and the others are in a hidden colony beyond the quantum abyss- our people aren’t gone, our culture has survived!”

“That’s great news,” Shiro managed with a smile, trying to be supportive but having a hard time focusing on anything that wasn’t Ulaz. Would he get to see him again? Would he be at the meeting?

His palm was sweating as they walked into an intimately lit conference room. Admiral Lotor was there with his four Generals but the soldiers were nowhere to be seen and Shiro’s heart sank in disappointment.

“Good evening,” Lotor said, rising to greet them. “Let’s discuss our alliance-”

The door slammed open and Ulaz strode in brazenly, winking at Shiro before he walked up to the Admiral. “Pardon my interruption,” he said. “Admiral- if I may have a quick word with you?”

“What is it?” Lotor asked, sitting down.

Ulaz bent down to whisper something in his ear as Lotor nodded slowly. “You’re sure?” he asked quietly.

“Yes,” Ulaz said. “Sir,” he added as an afterthought.

“Is something wrong?” Allura asked.

“No,” Lotor said as Ulaz stepped back to stand at his right shoulder, leaving his arm casually draped over Lotor’s chair.

“Regarding our negotiations,” Lotor continued but Shiro found his eyes drawn to Ulaz, standing behind him. “We have much to discuss but Voltron is needed by the universe, by your coalition. I want you to leave a representative with me, someone who can make an agreement on your behalf.” He spoke stiffly, like his words weren’t quite his own, and Shiro was hit by that feeling of wrongness again like he was surrounded by smoke and mirrors.

Why exactly was Ulaz here? Why only him and not the other soldiers? Why had the tone of their discussion changed as soon as he arrived, and if he’d just been delivering some unrelated message why was he still here now, staring down at Shiro with a sharp considering look?

“I can represent the Voltron coalition in our negotiations,” Allura said.

“But you are the Blue Paladin,” Lotor protested, “you are needed to form Voltron.”

“I’ll do it,” Coran said.

“Aren’t you the Captain of the castle ship?” Lotor asked.

“You want me,” Shiro spoke up, still staring at Ulaz with narrowed eyes, suspicious now despite himself. This was his doing somehow and Shiro wasn’t quite sure what to think.

“Yes,” Lotor said.

“For how long?”

“A cycle should be sufficient.”

“A cycle?” Allura asked incredulously. “Surely it won’t take that long, based on our discussion last night we’re already in agreement on much-”

“I’ve made my terms clear, Princess,” Lotor interrupted. “If you’d like us to proceed you’ll accept them.”

“Alright,” Shiro said, his heart pounding in his chest. A _week_. A week here, alone with Admiral Lotor and his people, with Ulaz.

“Shiro, are you sure?” Allura asked quietly.

“Admiral Lotor has given us no reason to distrust him,” Shiro said slowly. He hadn’t, had he? He’d brought Sam back to them, he’d saved thousands of Alteans. He’d made no move to hurt them at all, had only shown himself to be a potential ally and a hospitable host.

“Alright,” Allura said at last.

“Good,” Lotor said. “Then we can begin in the morning. Have a pleasant evening.” He nodded and stood, leaving with the others trailing after him.

“We should return to the castle,” Shiro said slowly. “I need to pack anyway, if I’ll be here for a week.” It was a plausible excuse but in truth he didn’t want to be at the mercy of Lotor’s hospitality tonight. He needed to spend some time on his home turf to get his head on straight and figure out what the hell was going on.

When he returned in a shuttle in the morning he almost had the shape of it. He was shown into a comfortable sitting room and greeted by Admiral Lotor, his Generals, Ulaz and five other soldiers. Up until now he’d only seen the Admiral in dimly lit rooms, in lantern light. Seeing him in the sunlight that filled the sitting room threw him in sharp relief and he no longer seemed so imposing. There were dark shadows under his eyes, he looked worn and somehow threadbare and his armor was painfully decorative, almost flimsy. Unlike every other person in the room he was unarmed and Shiro could see hints of bruising on his neck, on his wrists.

“Captain Takashi Shirogane,” Lotor greeted him, but there was uncertainty in his gaze, like he wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to do next. Suddenly all the pieces fell into place, everything that had been itching at the back of Shiro’s mind resolving into a clear picture.

“You’re not the Admiral,” he said and stared at the predatory smile spreading over Ulaz’s face.

“How dare you?” Admiral Lotor demanded but Shiro didn’t miss the way he swallowed nervously and his eyes skittered off to the side, towards Ulaz. The generals and soldiers shifted uneasily, reaching for their weapons.

Ulaz stepped forward slowly. “Stand down,” he said to the man that had been playing the part of Lotor, patting him on the shoulder dismissively and- _fuck_. At the back of his mind Shiro had really been hoping he was wrong.

“Are you Admiral Lotor or do you go by some other name?” Shiro demanded, shaking with anger.

Ulaz- fuck- _Lotor_ laughed easily, sprawling casually in one of the armchairs arranged throughout the room. “Leave us,” he said to the others.

“Are you sure?” Acxa asked.

“Leave us,” he repeated firmly, still staring directly at Shiro.

“I must say I’m impressed,” he said once they were alone. “You were suspicious of my stand-in from the start, you picked me out of the others right away. Not many would notice a simple soldier in the midst of all the glitz and glamor around them- none have until you.”

Shiro glared, crossing his arms over his chest. “Who was he?” he asked.

“That was Ulaz,” Lotor said dismissively. “One of the faces I wear. He’s no one- a prisoner. He was sent to assassinate me and now I keep him on a leash and force him to play my part. He’s lasted longer than most of the others. Dear Ulaz has already survived three poisoning attempts on my behalf, if he lasts another few deca-phoebs I’ll free him, although not many have lasted that long before.”

Shiro’s heart was pounding hard in his chest as he listened. He’d been a total idiot. Lotor was a fucking space pirate, they’d known that from the start. They’d let themselves be dazzled by his gifts and his playfulness and the promise of hope he’d given them, and Shiro had been dazzled most of all. He swallowed nervously.

“What was all this about?” he asked. “Why did you bring me here, why bring any of us? Are you even interested in negotiating an alliance?”

“No,” Lotor said, his eyes glittering like he was having the time of his life. “I don’t _negotiate_ , Shiro. I tell people what I want and they chose to give it to me- or not.”  
  
“What do you want, then?”

“I want Voltron’s support when I destroy my father.”

“And then what?” Shiro asked. “You want us to help you take the throne?”

Lotor laughed, throwing his head back. The sunlight fell over his white hair, enveloping him in a soft glow. He had no business being as beautiful as he was and that only made Shiro angrier with him.

“Why would I want the dregs of my father’s collapsing Empire when I’ve spent the past ten thousand years building my own?” Lotor scoffed. “I rule a vast space-faring nation of warriors of all races. We are rich in culture, in technology, in power. What you’ve seen so far is just a small portion of my strength.”

Was he telling the truth or was this just more smoke and mirrors?

“If you’re as strong as you say, you wouldn’t have waited this long to take Zarkon out,” Shiro said coldly.

Lotor laughed again. “My father is nothing to me. I haven’t given him a second thought for millennia. But then you and your allies dealt him a mortal blow and his filthy witch had the audacity to summon me- as though after being abandoned and forgotten for all this time I’d come running back to kneel at my father’s feet.” He leaned forward, and even though he was still smiling Shiro could see the fury underneath. “Nevertheless- I’ve been summoned, and so I’ve come. Not to kneel, but to conquer.”

Shiro could barely hold back a shiver at his tone, at the rage boiling under his carefully controlled veneer. “What do you need us for, then?” he asked quietly. “Why even bother trying to win us over?”

“I like making friends,” Lotor said with a shrug, his anger dissipating as though it had never been, leaving the very air lighter, sweeter. “And I know the witch will have some abomination ready for me that Voltron will be better equipped to handle.” He looked up sharply. “Don’t mistake me- I will destroy my father with or without you. But I think I’ll enjoy it so much more with you at my side.”

“And why am I here then?” Shiro demanded. “Why have me stay for a week? What do you want from me?”

“This isn’t about what I want, Shiro. It’s about what you want.”

Shiro uncrossed his arms and straightened to his full height as Lotor stood and slowly walked towards him.

“I asked you what you hungered for,” he said, his voice dropping seductively as he tilted his head to the side. “You said _rest_ , did you not? And here I’ve given you a cycle to do just that and already you scoff at it. Could it be you want something else instead?”

Shiro had to force himself not to step back as Lotor stopped in front of him, standing a little too close.

“I want you to stop playing games,” Shiro hissed. “You- you _tricked_ me. And now I’m supposed to believe you’re doing this for me somehow?”

“Our time together wasn’t a trick,” Lotor said firmly. “I may not have told you my true name but my desire for you was real. You desired me too, as I recall. Enthusiastically.”

Shiro flushed, thinking about all the red flags he’d missed, thinking about Lotor fucking him on the bank of the glowing lake and how _good_ it had been.

“Think about what you want, Shiro,” Lotor said quietly. “You can do as you please with the time I’ve given you. You can return to your friends, you can stay here on this planet and avail yourself of all the amenities of the palace and the world beyond. Or you can come with me and see my nation for yourself, see who I really am- and I’ll make sure you don’t leave disappointed.”

“You think I’m going to just- let you take me off somewhere after what you’ve done?” Shiro asked, flushing harder as he thought about all the things Lotor had whispered to him as the sun came up. _Fuck-_ he still wanted all of it, even now.

“Yes, I do,” Lotor said with a slow smirk. “But the choice is yours. I trust you remember where my ship is. I leave in one varga, you have until then to make your decision. If I don’t see you again- farewell, Captain Takashi Shirogane.”

He turned to go, leaving Shiro to stand alone and bewildered in the middle of the sunlit room.

 

* * *

 

“So I take it the negotiations went well?” Allura asked eagerly as Shiro stepped off the shuttle a week later.

“Yes,” he said. “Very well.”

“So he’s serious then- about helping us fight Zarkon?” Hunk asked.

Shiro smiled wryly. “The way he sees it- we’ll be helping him. But yes, he’s serious.”

“Why did he want you for so long?” Lance asked. “What did you even _do_ for a week?”

Shiro looked away, his face feeling a little hot. They’d done everything. They’d raced hoverbikes through arid deserts and fighter ships through asteroid fields, they’d swam in deep alien oceans, they’d sparred, they’d drank and feasted, they’d fucked. Lotor had shown him his armada, a fighting force almost twice the size of Zarkon’s own, and still Shiro had a feeling he was holding back. He ruled a smoothly functioning war machine the likes of which Shiro had never imagined, much less seen, but Lotor had been right to call it a _nation_ too.

Aside from his generals, who he’d hand picked as part of his court, the Commanders were elected, each fleet run through some semblance of democracy that put forward representatives to Lotor’s war council and his civil council as well. The fleets were largely autonomous, though all were beholden to Lotor’s grand plan, and all were held to a strict code of conduct at the penalty of death.

He had hidden colonies too, spread throughout the universe. For the young, the old, the sick and injured, for any who didn’t want to fight or who simply got tired of not having solid ground beneath their feet. He farmed entire planets with automated machines to feed his people, he had manufacturing plants and mining plants and a multitude of other facilities, managed by a few trusted subordinates while the heavy work was done by drones.

“He showed me his armada,” Shiro said at last, though ‘armada’ seemed like a painfully small word for it now that he’d seen the extent of what it truly was. _Empire_ was closer to the truth.

“So you think we have a chance?” Pidge asked with a smile.

Shiro laughed. “We have more than a chance. I think we should start discussing what we’re going to do after Zarkon is gone.”

The others broke out into excited conversation but suddenly Shiro felt alone and a little afraid.

_I have a hunger for life, for joy, for conquest._

What would _Lotor_ do after Zarkon was gone? He wouldn’t stop, that wasn’t in his nature. If they made an enemy of him he’d destroy them without a second thought, devour them and still remain unsatisfied.

So they’d have to be friends, instead. Shiro could manage that.

 

 _fin._  

 

**Author's Note:**

> The image was originally posted on tumblr [here](http://barbitone.tumblr.com/post/180846310765/ko-fi-society6-commission-prices-vary-ask)\- reblog, don't repost!
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [barbitone](http://barbitone.tumblr.com/) \- NSFW art at [barbitone-afterdark](https://barbitone-afterdark.tumblr.com/)


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